Her Hometown Redemption. Rachel Brimble

“Why would I? You were the one who said you wanted more than Templeton...more than Liam. I told you then, and I’m telling you now, he’s one of the best guys out there.”

      Tanya swallowed. She couldn’t deny the spark was still there between them; the tension of unspoken words punctuating the air like unexploded bombs. “Maybe.”

      “There’s no maybe about it. Who knows, in time, the two of you—”

      “The chances of him ever thinking of me that way again are zero. I just hope the disgust in his eyes disappears sooner rather than later, that’s all.”

      “Disgust? Are you sure? That doesn’t sound like Liam.”

      “What else could that dark, intense, unblinking study mean? He wants me? I don’t think so.”

      “I wouldn’t be so sure. Liam looks at me like I’m his baby sister. The look he gave you sounds a lot more interesting.”

      Tanya joined the line outside Bart’s food hut and eyed the fast-food menu with a mixture of nostalgia and nausea. “Yeah, well, I’ve had as much as I can take for my first evening back. I’m going to grab a burger and Coke and take it back to the apartment. A night of unpacking feels a lot more appealing than anything else right now.”

      “And what about the weekend?”

      Tanya sighed. “I’ll have plenty to keep me busy until I start sorting out the office on Monday.”

      “Good.”

      Tanya cleared her throat. “I also might take a walk to Funland and see what they’ve done to the place since you’ve been gone.”

      “Why would you want to do that?”

      Tanya closed her eyes. “You know why. The fairground is where Matt Davidson hurt you, Sash. It makes sense that Funland is the best place to start trying to track him down.”

      “I’ve told you John and I have done all we can think of—”

      “I know you have, but isn’t it worth me trying again? I’m here, Sash. I’m in Templeton, and as far as we know, Davidson could be, too.”

      “Of course he won’t be in Templeton. The police combed the area. They followed up leads and came back to us time and time again with a dead end.”

      Tanya glared toward the ocean, her fingers curled tightly around the phone. “Well, that was then, this is now. I want to at least try to find him.” She exhaled a shaky breath. “Please. Let me do this. Let me try to make up for not being there for you when...”

      “It’s in the past, Tanya.”

      “You have done so much for me over the last few months. You’ve helped me with therapy, what you said to me in the hospital persuaded me to come home and start over. I couldn’t have gotten as far as I have without you. Please. Let me at least try to be the big sister I should’ve always been.”

      “I don’t know.”

      “Wouldn’t you do anything to see Davidson behind bars?”

      “Of course.”

      “Then let me try to find him. Please.” Tears burned Tanya’s eyes. If only she had done something years before... “Sash?”

      “Fine. Do what you can, but promise me you won’t put yourself in danger. If...and it’s a big if...you find anything that might lead you to where he is, you tell the police.”

      Tanya exhaled, relief she had her sister’s permission to pursue Davidson relaxing the tension in her shoulders. “We’ll face that bridge when we come to it.”

      “Okay. Look, John’s calling me. I’ll speak to you soon. Look after yourself.”

      “I will. Love you.”

      “Love you, too.” Tanya cut the connection and swapped the phone for her wallet.

      Tomorrow would be the first day of her new life. Today was just the warm-up. Whether Templeton was ready for her or not, she was back for good, and her reasons went a lot deeper than just a need to start anew. Matt Davidson needed to be brought to justice, and over her dead body would she rest until he had his day in court.

      * * *

      EVERY BITE OF the sea bass was like sandpaper, every sip of the wine like vinegar. Liam scowled and stared through the restaurant doors once more. He’d lost count how many times he’d looked up from his food to catch Caroline, Marian or someone else looking in his direction. The curiosity in their gazes made him want to punch a damn wall.

      He refused to leave a morsel of food on his plate or a drop of wine in his glass before he left the Seascape. His insides might be a mess and his mind even more so, but he would not give anyone in town the ammunition to shoot the breeze over Tanya’s unexpected appearance. Everyone knew he liked his food. If he left the restaurant with anything remaining on his plate, it would be enough to start the tongues wagging.

      The aftershocks of his astonishment at seeing her again still pulsed at his temples.

      Stabbing his fork into an untouched pile of beetroot salad, Liam concentrated on chewing and swallowing rather than debating how he would deal with seeing Tanya next time. Her weight loss and the dark smudges under her eyes had twisted at his emotions so much more than if she’d looked the picture of health. Her long, dark hair, usually so lusciously thick and shiny, had been wound into a haphazard ponytail, her shirt slightly crumpled. Before, it was as though her clothes had been ironed with her inside them.

      Yet her looks and clothes did nothing to lessen the sexuality that oozed from her every pore. His pull to her was as intense as it had always been. Nothing had changed on that score. At all.

      When she looked at him, her usual obstinate “don’t mess with me” attitude lingered, but he sensed a whisper of uncertainty as though one accusation would make her crumble. The subtle change in her had knocked him off-kilter, made him abandon his previous decision to show Tanya the no-nonsense man he was today. Instead, he’d let her walk away.

      He picked up his glass and drank. The hit of alcohol fueled an impatience to leave and go find her, insist she tell him why she was back. More important, for how long. Questions and demands became a maelstrom of frustration and hunger. His reaction to her ill advised and dangerous. It screamed confirmation of something he had feared for years. That Tanya was The One.

      Whispering a curse, he shook his head and speared some fish onto his fork, shoving it into his mouth and washing it down with the last of his wine.

      “Nice table manners, my friend.”

      Liam lifted his head and closed his eyes. “Not now, George. I’m not in the mood.”

      “And you think that’s reason enough to satisfy my lovely wife? Not a chance. I’m not going to risk Marian lopping off my manhood when I tell her I walked away from you none the wiser.”

      Liam opened his eyes and looked past George toward Marian. The damn woman sat eagerly forward at their table, nursing a glass of wine, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. Liam faced George. “Why should I care about your manhood when mine has just been yanked on?”

      George pulled out the chair on the opposite side of the table and sat. “So why’s she back?”

      Liam sighed as defeat washed over him. He put down his fork. “No idea. We didn’t get that far.”

      “I see.” George lifted his eyebrows. “So, what happens next?”

      Liam wiped his hand over his face. “I don’t know. I can’t tell her to go back to wherever the hell she came from, can I? Templeton’s as much her home as it is mine. If Tanya’s back, it’s my problem to deal with, not hers.”

      George stared, his wizened gaze running over Liam’s face before he leaned back and crossed his arms. “She looks lost.”

      Liam huffed out a laugh, pushing